1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microscope device and a microscope system which include an optical system which is housed within a case of the microscope device.
2. Related Art
There is a known type of box shaped microscope device in which an optical system is housed within a case, such as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. H8-271794. With this box shaped microscope device, the optical systems is entirely housed within a case. By doing this it is possible to enhance the freedom for selecting the location in which the microscope device is to be set up. For example, if this box shaped microscope device is positioned on the floor, it is possible for the user to use the surface of his table or desk freely.
However, if a box shaped microscope device is positioned upon the floor, the observer is forced into an unnatural attitude in order to be able to look through the eyepiece lens directly. Thus, a display monitor is provided upon the desk or table, and the image which is generated by a box shaped microscope device is displayed upon this monitor. An optical image of a minute region upon the specimen which is generated by the box shaped microscope device, i.e. a so called microscope image, is converted into electronic form by an image-capturing element which is provided within the case of the microscope device, and this electronic image is outputted to the monitor.
Furthermore, the mechanisms which shift the sample stage and which change the observational magnification have also been converted to electrical operation. By doing this, the observer is not required to assume any unnatural attitude, and, simply by actuating a keyboard and/or mouse which are provided upon the desk, can shift the sample stage and change the operational magnification.
In order to observe a desired point upon the specimen, first the observational magnification is set to a low magnification value and a wide region upon the specimen is observed, and the sample stage is shifted by minute amounts so that the desired point comes into the field of view of the optical system. And the observational magnification is progressively shifted towards a high magnification value. In order to shift the desired point to the central point in the field of view, it is necessary to check which region upon the specimen the currently observed microscope image falls.
Normally, with a microscope which is not of the box shaped type, the observer removes his eye from the eyepiece lens, observes the positional relationship between the sample stage and the objective lens, and checks the region of the microscope image upon the specimen.
However, in the case of a box shaped microscope, a supplementary function is provided of automatically obtaining image data for an overall image of the entire specimen. Upon the display monitor, not only is the microscope image displayed, but also this overall image of the entire specimen is displayed as well. By doing this, it is possible for the observer to check the region upon the specimen in which the microscope image falls, without inspecting the specimen directly by eye. It should be understood that, in the related art, a specimen which is inserted from the outside is scanned by a line shaped diode array which is provided in a sample insertion and removal aperture of the case, in order to capture image data for this entire overall image of the specimen.
As described above, a box shaped microscope device is operated electrically, and is implemented in conjunction with an information processing device such as a computer. However, the following problems are experienced with a box shaped microscope device. First, a considerable time period is required in order to display an overall image. Second, depending upon the location of use, there is a possibility that the optical system may vibrate due to the passage of personnel or the like, so that the overall image of the specimen to be displayed upon the display monitor may become confused.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a box shaped microscope device, and a microscope system, for which the actuation characteristics and the observational environment provided are excellent.
In order to achieve the above described objective, the microscope device according to the present invention includes: a support member which supports a specimen; a first optical system which generates an image of a partial region upon the specimen; a second optical system which generates an overall image of the specimen; a imaging device which photoelectrically detects the images which are generated by the first optical system and by the second optical system; and a changeover mechanism which changes over between a first optical path from the specimen via the first optical system to the imaging device and a second optical path from the specimen via the second optical system to the imaging device. And the support member, the first optical system, the second optical system, the imaging device, and the changeover mechanism are housed within a case.
Furthermore, in order to achieve the above described objective, there is provided a microscope device including, housed internally to a case: a support member which supports a specimen; an optical system which generates an image of a partial region upon the specimen; and an imaging device which photoelectrically detects the image of the partial region which is generated by the optical system; wherein the case has a frame structure, and the support member, the optical system, and the imaging device are fixed to the frame structure via an anti vibration mechanism which reduces vibration.